The dragonball Files
by devinprater
Summary: Dragon Ball Z, as a more serious and logical story. Goku is a powerful man, a possible hero or villain. Humans want to be like him, and intergalactics want him dead. What adventures and surprises await in this new retelling?
1. Chapter 1

Dragon Ball Files

 _Author's note_

This fanfiction takes characters, ideas, and probably lots of other things from the Dragonball franchise. I do not own these things, however the events, exactly how they happen, are of my creation.

This fanfic will be a lot more serious than regular Dragon Ball, Z, and GT. This is by design, and is no error of my making. I got tired of DBZ being all about funny stuff and illogic, and am determined to fix that.

 _End author's note_

Chapter one

Goku sat in his usual chair, across from his Grandpa. Of course, Gohan was more like a father to him, but he was very old, and liked being called grandpa more. Goku often asked Grandpa what happened to his real dad, but he always got the same story about how Gohan was walking through the woods, or on the mountain; that part always changed, and found baby Goku just lying there among the rubble of some metal thing. Goku had seen the movies, ever since they'd moved to America to get Goku studied, and had even read a few comic books. He knew what people would think if he went live with all this, but he had his own research to do first.

Goku wasn't sure if he was an alien or just a mutant. He had super strength, super speed; sometimes, and could stay a few steps ahead of the math teacher. Shoot, he even had a tail, which he kept in his pants at all times no matter what it seemed to want. Still, that didn't prove things either way. He could be an alien, or he could be just a mutant, like the x-men.

Today, he was working on a college assignment while his Grandpa watched on with his failing eyes. Goku had tried to teach the man Braille, so that when he did go blind on his 100th birthday; best centennial gift ever, Gohan would still be able to read a little. But, this old dog just couldn't get the hang of it because of the loss of much of the feeling in his fingers, so Goku sometimes read to him.

Goku eventually finished his assignment, submitted it online to the physics professor, and got on Skype to talk with his friends, and that special friend. She was already there, and had even left him a sweet message, which also asked about his training.

Goku had one more power, one he kept guarded a lot. He could use his body's energy to do just about anything he wanted. He could shoot balls of energy from his hands, fingertips, or even his eyes, which hurt. He could amplify his voice by putting a little energy into his vocal chords, which also let him change his voice. He could even hover around, by pushing energy through his feet, pushing himself off the floor. He suspected that his super strength and fast brain were the result of subconsciously using his energy as well.

Suddenly his phone's screen went dark. He snapped out of his introspection and smiled a little. He really did think too much. He supposed America had that effect; all the chaos outside makes the brain turn inside. He reopened his phone and replied to Chi-Chi.

Chi-Chi: How's your training going, Love?

Goku: It's going well, thanks. I can float for a good 10 minutes before I'm burnt out. Have you and Bulma found a reason for all this yet?

Chi-Chi: Nope, sorry. I guess its how much you eat. All that energy's gotta get out somehow, lol.

Goku: Oh we all know it's more than just that. If it were just that, I'd be obese by now, probably immobile too.

Chi-Chi: I wonder what'll happen if you did get fat. Just imagine that, an 800 pound guy able to move around and act like normal. It'd drive the medical community crazy.

Goku: Lol. Sorry Chi-Chi, but I don't think my physiology would allow me to get fat.

Goku was a lot more happy after talking to her. He'd saved her from bullies one day at school, and they'd been fast friends. Bulma had joined him before, on a hunt for the Dragon Balls, a legendary few rocks that granted wishes, but they didn't look far. They were kids then, getting into all sorts of local stuff, adventuring all the way to the woods at the edge of town, but no dragon balls, not around there anyways.

Once older, Goku had done a little research on dragon balls, and found some evidence of their existence, accounts of their use, even scientific studies on the placebo effect linked to the magical balls. But Goku knew that collecting them would take years, and he didn't want to miss Chi-Chi, or college, for that long.

Goku brought his mind back to the present, and closed his laptop. He'd looked up the news, and found nothing much new. Happy with the results of the day, he drifted off to sleep.

"This is the end for you, Frieza!" Flash of light. Two beings fighting on a planet. Smaller being chuckles. "Did you really think that could phase me, monkey?" "But, that was all I have! That was all I could give for the future." Another bright light which fills the view.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Frieza sat in his favorite chair. It wasn't his only chair, just his favorite. That chair was the one he sat in when Father Cold made him the Face of the empire.

"Brother, when will Raditz arrive on that planet to collect his brother?" Cooler looked up from the holograph he was using.

"Maybe 10 more years if no complications occur."

Frieza sighed. He'd had the scientists under his control working on faster ways of intergalactic travel, but either they were less smart than his father gave them credit for, or there just wasn't anything faster than what was currently available.

Raditz was a lower-class soldier in Frieza's army, one of the last few Saiyans left, as far as Frieza could find. He was loyal, like the rest of his kind, to the King and Prince, which is why Frieza kept Vegeta around.

"Just make sure Nappa and Vegeta are briefed on this mission. I don't want there to be extra monkeys running around the galaxy that aren't under my control," Frieza said, concluding the meeting with his older brother.

Frieza sat back in his chair, and closed his eyes. He soon felt the calm control sweep through him, he felt the air circulating in the room, heard his deep breathing, and began thinking of the empire spread in front of him.

The two men sat across from one another. They'd worked together for a few years now, and both knew that the other was on edge. They sat at plain wooden table, cups of coffee at the ready.

"You know we'll have to do something about this at some point. One day, the public will find out, and people will blame it on some government project."

"Mike, you know it's not our fault. He's not from Earth."

"Yes John, I know all that. I've read his file over and over. We've already asked what it is, now we have to ask why it is."

"Well, maybe it's the answer to all those probes we've sent out, to send us one of their own."

"Could be. We've only gotten to look at him from afar. I wish they'd let us bring him in."

"As always, the public…"

"Yes yes, the people. It's always about the people, and they don't know anything."

"As well they shouldn't. They'd probably wage war against the government if they knew what we know."

"And it's our job to make sure that doesn't happen. Yeah yeah, I know. But back to the boy, how do we see what all he's capable of?"

"Well, what does he like to do?"

"One of our agents say he trains his powers by fighting off animals in the mountains before they get into his town."

"Fascinating. Perhaps we could…"

They both grabbed their coffee and sipped for a moment, giving each other time to think.

"Engineer some animal and see if he can kill it."

"I was thinking of starting a tournament to see if any human can beat him."

"Well, we could do both, you know."

Mike then looked up the amount of money available to them.

"How's it look?"

Mike turned the tablet around to show John.

"Not nearly enough. We need advertizing, a construction crew, equipment for genetic engineering, gosh, so much."

"We could sell it to the people as a fundraiser first. Just say the people will be paying for their own entertainment for a change."

"Then we can use the leftover money to research the boy's power!"

"Yes, so we will. Now, let's write up a formal plan and get it rolling."

Goku woke up from the strange dream drenched in sweat. The dream began to dissolve in his mind, until all he could really recall with certainty was the flash of light as something exploded. He had the feeling that it was more than a dream, more like a frail memory of some kind, one which is barely remembered, on the edge of memory like an afterthought.

Goku got up and dressed, and walked into the livingroom. He sat down in the chair he occupied last night, and turned on the TV.

Grandpa had been watching the 10:00 news, Goku guessed, because the news channel blared to life before his eyes.

"Local school teacher caught on video sleeping in class."

Goku laughed at that. He'd seen students sleeping in any and all of his classes, but he didn't think a teacher would dare sleep with students in the room. Footage showed a skinny man in jeans and a t-shirt laying on a mattress in the middle of the room, with students pointing cameras, phones, watches, glasses, and even rings at him.

"Students at Hercule High say this isn't the first time this teacher has zoned out in class," the newswoman reported.

"We've reached out to Mister Hercole himself, but have heard nothing from either him or his Press Secretary as of now."

Goku slumped in his chair. Everyone knew Hercule and his school were a joke. Goku would have kept on laughing if it were some other high school, but hearing the name Hercule just made him exasperated.

Hercule, as Goku knew, claimed that he was the world's strongest man. He had his supporters, but most people thought of him as a clown. He sure had money, though, and spent it on whatever came to his mind.

"Hercule sponsoring first World Martial Arts tournament."

Goku laughed again, then stopped. A tournament would surely allow him to teach the world that Hercule was a fool. Goku watched on, as the newswoman gabbed on and on about how everyone would be there, about how it'd take a few months to prepare, and how the prize would be a few hundred thousand dollars.

Goku laughed again about the money. Everyone knew that only the rich could get richer, but Goku supposed he could use a few thousand dollars, for his town, for Chi-Chi, and a little for himself of course.

After watching a little more of the news, to see if anything more would be announced about the tournament, Goku turned off the TV, grabbed his laptop, and headed off to school.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

The tournament was only days away. Goku sat in the shade of an old oak tree, the roots visible above the ground strewn with leaves. The tall, aged tree leaned away from the Breeze, its branches sagging in defeat from the merciless force of entropy. Goku looked upon this colossal being, understanding that it neared death. He'd been practicing with his aura, his power, his own force. He felt outward, as a newly blind man gropes for contact with a world made for eyes.

He felt the tree's slow and ancient life force. He felt Death's cold approach. He felt its small, but persistent, will to live. He was struck with awe at this life, unnoticed by anyone else upon this planet. He remembered back to the dream he'd once had.

The battle was over. Goku's ancestor, struggled, pinned to a tree by an alien enemy.

"Ye tell me ye'er the last Saiyajin? So shall it be. Ye'll die here, monkey! May thine corpse adorn the stars of my empire."

"Frieza! Though mine corpse adorneth the stars, and my blood cryeth to the Eternal from the ground, the chron of thine death shan't tick into infinity. A day will arrive when your own cadaver will adorn the stars, and all worlds will see it. And a great feast will be held on that day. Thine father will find thee, and fabricate a body for thee, but ye shall be struck down once more"

The emperor laughed raucously.

"Doth thou now claim to have the gift of prophecy? May your death hasten upon you, fore I tire of thine words."

Frieza created a cloud of energy, wrapped it around the unmoving warrior, and constricted it. The cloud expanded until it covered the Saiyan, and simultaneously imploded and crushed the being within, taking the tree with it. Frieza stood alone on the Barron planet Vegeta, and laughed hideously.

Goku flenched slightly, his mind clamoring to the present. The tree in his dream looked nothing like this one, but yet both were near death. Should he then end this one's suffering? Is that the right thing to do? He reached towards the tree with his aura, searching for an answer. He felt the life of the tree, and reached farther into it. He felt its slow pulse, and wanted to feel more of it. He dove deeper, allowing himself to become part of the tree's life. He wanted to invigorate this old being. He wanted to help it live. He poured his own energy into the pulse, feeling the tree enliven suddenly. The water circulated through the giant-a bit faster. The tree did not thank him, but it did seem to want more. It needed more life, it needed to keep living. Goku obliged, lending the tree more of his power. Water moved even faster through the veins of the oak, old parched wood cracking under the pressures of new life. Goku didn't notice. The tree demanded more energy, and Goku needed to give even more. More wood within the tree gave way, and still the water sped faster through the veins. The pulse of the colossal tree thundered in Goku's mind, filling him with happiness and strength.

Dear Reader, I'm so very sorry for what will happen beyond this page. If I could take back and reforge this tale, I would. But alas, the tale writes itself, and I am only the conciliator of this tale and its advent. Again, I say sorry.

Goku had floated up, higher than he'd ever ventured before. He alighted upon a large, sturdy branch, and sat there, caring for his old friend. The tree's pulse was now hammering quickly, as if it were a human who'd run a mile. Goku began to be concerned with this, but the tree didn't seem to mind. It cried out to him for more energy. It called to be fed more power. Goku no longer lived within the life stream of the tree, simply because the tree's life didn't need him there anymore. He could still feel the pulse though, dropping momentarily, then picking back up. _Good_ , he thought. _It's slowing down_. Like a wave, the heartbeat slowed, then sped up again. Seconds passed in this fashion, and the beat became faint as it slowed for the last time. Goku felt this, knew that Death had rushed in for the kill. In his imagination, he saw the dark, hooded Death grin up at him. _Thanks Goku_ , Death whispered. _I'd been trying to claim this life for a while_. Goku gasped as emotion welled up inside him, and the tree still moaned for power, still cried for strength. And as the echoes of its last heartbeat faded, the branch Goku sat on cracked and gave way. Goku, and the tree he'd tried to give life to, both crashed to the ground.


End file.
